Eastern employees found to be non-compliant with state ethics training have until Friday to respond to the state before punitive actions are pursued.

Of 2,032 Eastern employees who participated in the online training module required for state employees, less than 75 were non-compliant because they finished the training in less than 10 minutes, said Sandy Bowman, director of Human Resources.

A letter from Illinois’ Executive Inspector General James Wright was given to state employees before the training that indicated a need for careful reading but did not include a specific amount of time required for the training.

The letter said: “Please be aware that the time that you spend and your activities in completing this course may be monitored. Failure to carefully read and review all of the program’s subject matter may invalidate your Completion Certificate and result in your being subject to disciplinary action and a requirement to complete additional ethics training.”

Bowman said those who were non-compliant did not take enough time to comprehensively read the training information.

“James Wright tried, I think, to let them know to take their time and read things carefully,” Bowman said.

A letter from President Lou Hencken also asked employees to thoroughly read and understand the information.

Those who finished the training in less than 10 minutes received a packet in the mail at their homes that included information from the state Ethics Act. They were asked to read over the information and return a signed paper stating that they did so.

Anyone who doesn’t return the statement before Friday will be liable for legal action from the university or the state, Bowman said.

“We just have a few left that we don’t have in yet,” she said of the statements. “At this point, as long as they do this, they should be fine.”

Charles Delman, president of Eastern’s chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois said the faculty union is upset about the 10-minute time requirement.

“We thought it was an outrage,” Delman said. “The state agency simply made the assumption that if someone did not take more than 10 minutes they could not have read the material carefully.”

Delman, along with seven other UPI chapter presidents and representatives, met Jan. 13 to pass a motion advising UPI members who were found non-compliant with the ethics test.

UPI members received a form letter prepared by UPI that they could both comply with the state’s requirements and express their protest of the 10-minute requirement calling it “arbitrary and capricious.”

“We wanted to advise them on how to respond to this in a way that was in keeping with their responsibilities but allowed them to express their protest about it if they wished,” Delman said. “It’s our job to protect people and their legal rights to work.”

Bowman said less than half of the non-compliant employees were faculty members.